ANOTHER great night for Godolphin at Meydan on Thursday was highlighted by Beautiful Romance’s victory in the 14-furlong Group 3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy on the turf, bringing up a treble for the team in the famous blue silks.

Trained by Saeed bin Suroor, the daughter of New Approach, a Group 2 winner in England and Australia last year, was sent for home three and a half furlongs out by Oisin Murphy. It was left to last year’s Dubai Gold Cup winner Vazirabad to chase her home.

“She is a lovely mare for a jockey to ride because you can put her anywhere in a race knowing she will settle and do what you want. I was keen to be positive on her and went for home a long way out because I knew she would just keep galloping and find plenty if I asked her again,” said Murphy.

Earlier the seven-furlong Listed Meydan Classic was dominated by Godolphin who supplied the first three home. However, it was the apparent third string Top Score, a Hard Spun three-year-old out of an own-sister to Raven’s Pass, who landed the spoils with Adrie de Vries. Saeed bin Suroor saddled the winner.

Another Godolphin 1-2-3 followed immediately in the 10-furlong turf handicap won by the Charlie Appleby-trained Viren’s Army, a £700,000 buy at last year’s Goffs London Sale. Ridden by Colm O’Donoghue, the Irish-foaled son of Twirling Candy skipped clear at the top of the straight and never looked likely to be caught.

The Group 3 UAE Oaks over nine and a half furlongs on dirt was comfortably won by the American-bred Hard Spun filly, Nomorerichblondes, runner-up at 66/1 in the UAE 1000 Guineas on her previous start. That mile race was won by Nashmiah who was a non-runner on Thursday evening following a respiratory problem.

The Ahmad bin Harmash-trained winner was ridden by Antonio Fresu.

“She should improve from this and maybe even deserves a crack at the UAE Derby over the same course and distance,” said Fresu.

The Curlin Handicap was run over the same 10-furlong course and distance as the Dubai World Cup and Mubtaahij, runner-up in Meydan’s biggest race of the season last year, had to settle for second here to Sam Hitchcott on the Doug Watson-trained seven-year-old Daahar gelding Etijaah, one of two winners for Sheikh Hamdan on the night.

The meeting concluded with the final handicap of the 2017 Dubai World Cup Carnival, run over seven furlongs on turf.

It was won in style by the Mike de Kock-trained Suyoof under Jim Crowley. This Australian-bred son of Master Albert won a Group 3 in South Africa a year ago.

JEBEL ALI

Thirteen runners lined up for the Listed Jebel Ali Sprint last Friday, but it was last year’s winner Morawij who came home in front to land the five-furlong dash.

In doing so Dhruba Selvaratnam’s charge became the third dual winner of the race, following Russian Rock in 2012 and 2013 and the Selvaratnam-trained Try Prospect two decades ago. Morawij was a listed winner for Roger Varian and is a son of Exceed And Excel.

“I was always pretty confident in the race,” said winning rider Chris Hayes. “There was just one moment, about a furlong out, when I had to get serious but he then really ran on strongly. You have to give Dhruba and his team a lot of credit as this horse had a bit of a setback last week and I was not certain he would even get here today.”

Connections were denied a big-race double when Forjatt, winner of the Group 3 Jebel Ali Mile a month ago, had to settle for second in the 10-furlong Listed Jebel Ali Stakes.

The Satish Seemar-trained Farrier, ridden by Richard Mullen, stayed on too strongly in the final furlong. Both the winner, a son of Tapit, and the runner-up are nine-year-olds.

“He is a very good horse who was a very close second in this last year and has always worked like a star,” said Mullen. “It has just taken us a long time to really work out what he prefers in his races. He was second in Super Saturday’s Group 1 Jebel Hatta on turf last year and that would be an option, but we could even think about the Al Maktoum Challenge R3 on the same card.”

Having shown promise when trained by Dermot Weld, the $550,000 yearling buy Kidd Malibu made his local and dirt debut a winning one with a smooth success in the seven-furlong maiden.

Runner-up last year at Navan and Fairyhouse, he was having his first start for trainer Musabbeh Al Mheiri and was the mount of Jim Crowley. “That was a good start to his UAE career and he has certainly handled the surface,” said Crowley.

Later it was the turn of Ajwad to lose his maiden tag, making virtually all in a six-furlong handicap under Goran Mesetovic for Rashed Bouresly. The son of Rock Of Gibraltar was bought by his trainer as a yearling for £26,000 at DBS in August 2014.

At the rear for most of the 10-furlong trip, the Erwan Charpy-trained Prince Suhail, a son of Marju who started his career in France, was produced close home and landed a handicap under stable jockey, Antonio Fresu. In total contrast, the concluding mile handicap was won by the Musabbeh Al Mheiri-trained Simple Attack who was never headed under Fernando Jara, recording a double for the trainer. The Darley-bred son of Invincible Spirit won at two for Saeed bin Suroor.

TRAINERS DISQUALIFIED

Just days after recording a double at Jebel Ali, trainer Musabbeh Al Mheiri was disqualified for a year, effective immediately, after a post-race urine sample taken from maiden winner Vivernus on January 14th was found to contain a prohibited amount of cobalt present.

Hassan Al Hammadi was also found guilty of two charges of having cobalt present in runners from his stables. He was disqualified for a period of one year